Tuesday February 10th

So after me reporting last night that snow was imminent, before going to bed I put the outside garden light on and the snow was gently collecting on the garden and blizzarding near to the light.  It had mentioned snow on the weather for the next village so I checked the temperature that was current and it was just a plus but I guess that higher up it's colder, hence the white stuff was falling.

I went to bed around twelve, snuggled down without my giant hottie and woke up at seven on the dot.....looks like I'm back to normal.  I felt OK and checked my blood pressure just to confirm and it was showing a little higher than usual but better than it had been for the previous few days.  My doctor is pretty easy to get to see so I took it in my head to take up the Bulgarian offer of a yearly MOT, dressed for the weather even though it had stopped snowing.  No sign of cat but the omelette from yesterday had gone from the terrace so I guessed it was being fed somewhere.  I went to throw some bread out for the birds and disturbed cat that was under my bedroom balcony, it shot out and because it had shown itself I went into the porch, took outa  the container, shook out the ice from the dish and my hand slipped as I was pouring the dried food into the container and more was delivered than I intended but I reconned one might be up for sharing, if there was a surplus.

I made it into the Nipper by just after ten fifteen, the snow had stopped and the roads were clear.  I drove to Kardjali and parked up at the back of the hospital and tried my parking app. and it suddenly occurred to me that the fact that my card had been gobbled up and me blocking it, my app. wouldn't work.  This now meant I needed to add another card, it required a confirmation number, this was displayed in another screen and when I went back to the entry screen, the card details had gone.  I decided to risk it and checked with the reception in the hospital wht time I could get to see the doctor and it wasn't until two this afternoon....I had time to kill so I went back and managed to set up the parking app....and went back to the hospital and sat it out in the waiting area.  The doctor called my in just before one, decided that we wouldn't have time for much if she was going to lunch so we agreed that we would meet up at two ane we did.  I had an ECG, a full checkup, I have the blood and urinary test tomorrow morning and anything else that goes with it.  If I require any more tests, this will be documented and carried out after my guest have gone back to the UK....Bulgarian backward hospital systems....pah.

Next trip was to the bank to try to get some cash out and she stopped me in my path.  My Bulgarian registration card was not sufficient, I have to take my passport tomorrow, I don't want to risk my English cards in the cash machine but am rapidly running out of euro but I shan't return to the Kardjali Branch but go to my favourite one in next nearest town, they're much friendlier.  A quick stop at my local supermarket for a few things, got the fire going from the embers when I got home, a little snow falling but nothing too drastic.  LN....My day will be full tomorrow....but I was pleased with today's efforts....LN

Wednesday 11th February

So this morning I was on a mission.  I drove to Kardjali at nine fifteen, managed to park up at the hospital and was having my blood taken at ten this morning and also 'can you pee in this plastic cup, fill up the sample bottle and dispose of the rubbish.  I know the young lady from a previous visit and being English makes you stand out a little, she spoke English well and when she was trying to find a specific word in English and found it we both laughed.  I had to visit my doctor first to find my Bulgarian Health reference number and after the business was done I went back to her room and she will get the results and if there is anything that needs investigation, she will phone me tomorrow....and I call that service.  I went back to the car and decided that I would get my money sorted at Momchilgrad but that was a wasted exercise since they've closed the branch....so instead I drove back to Djebel and took my money from the cash machine using my other card....goodness knows when the other will be ready for collection.  I've lost all faith in that bank.

I didn't bother to stop to do any shopping, I'd had enough exercise for the day, it was a cold day and I wanted to light the fire and get the house warmed up.  I've had no sign of cat at all today, deserted me for another provider but I know it will be back.  A lot of the people that have been here for the winter and heading back to Turkey and we shall probably see them when the weather is good again.  I made toast for a late breakfast since I was told not to eat anything before the blood test was taken and by now it was getting on for one o'clock.  I made a warm drink to keep me going until the fire really kicked in, put the television on and went back to the series that I'm watching.  It's good because it has few good strong characters so even if you miss bits you still stay with the story lines.  

I bought a Grade 1 chicken from the supermarket and thought it best cook it before the Grade 1 was no longer.  I've not used the oven for a long time and fogotten how the controls work.  It was quite a big bird and too big for any other method of cooking so needs as needs must.  There were white numbers, symbols etc. on the control dials but where I've cleaned it most of them have rubbed off so it was out with the handbook from all those years ago and I need a pot of 'white out' to paint them on again.  It will make life easier when my family are here.  So back to my series while the bird was cooking, I've removed it from the oven and am about to attack it so cat should get some decent breakfast tomorrow.  So on final count down for my birthday celebrations with the family and I really appreciate them coming over.  LN..... I'm almost ready for the visit and I've just been advised that snow is forecast for Saturday, the day they arrive....oops......LN

Thursday 12th February

It's a plethora of birthdays this month, my daughter's was the 3rd, my mother's would have been the 4th, my son's is tomorrow and mine is the 17th...expensive for cards and presents but when they ask me what I would like for my birthday, a skip hire would be an appropriate gift.  I accumulate 'stuff', I get attached to 'stuff', I have trouble off-loading 'stuff' and I would like to start to off-loading 'stuff'.

I suppose I had a house to fill when I'd finished putting the roof on this one and a second one in the garden for those other things like yogurt pots, jam jars and all useful things for gardening and becoming a hunter gatherer.  This year my new year's resolution was to start sorting things out, I don't what the next generation to wonder why I kept certain things and it's not for posterity.  My two are going to have a few surprises when I come to sort out the house in England,  Did we really have to bring back the metal sledge from Romania on a ski-ing trip and a two foot high snow man the next year.  Having said that I won the 'bingo' in the hotel in Djerba on the last night of the holiday, had to spend the money on something so bought back two spice racks for the children and I metal two foot high birdcage for me that went in the hold when we retuned to the UK the next day.  It was in the days when you were allowed to do that sort of thing.  I wasn't sure if I would see it again but there it was on the carousal.  It hung in the conservatory for a few years but eventually it arrived in the loft and one day soon I'll find it or someone will if I don't get around to it.

As for today, we had a brief interlude of feint sunshine late this afternoon but it's been one of those cold miserable days. I've done loads, beds are made up, my daughter and hubby arrive on Saturday, my son arrives with my grandson and a very late arranged brief overlap.  It's really appreciated, it's a big birthday year and I don't know where all the years have gone but most of them seem to have been filled with something.  I didn't move to Bulgaria until I was over sixty and I've certainly filled these last years with house renovating, gardening and planning more holidays with a local tour company with the advantage that insurance is included in the package, unlike the UK and cruise lines.  Although with Greece being so near, holidays aren't so important...days out with a meal in a lovely restaurant satisfy lot of the needs.

Cat did benefit from the chicken that I cooked last night, it arrived looking very wet and bedraggled on the terrace around eight thirty so I put the food out immediately.  Since then I haven't seen it all all, probably holed up somewhere out of the wind that seems to have picked up.  Temperature is up to five degrees tonight and the fire has been going all day and I've just put another large one on now.  I did intend going out before it went dark to get more logs into the conservatory but I always seem to work better in the mornings, it will be three log carriers in and some of the very old offcuts that have been hanging around for ages.  I might have to be swinging the axe just a tad to get some down to a reasonable size....but that's for another day so won't worry my head about it just yet.  LN.....I had chicken and mayo sandwiches for a late lunch, early supper....that's me finished for the night....and there's still plenty for cat for tomorrow.....LN

Friday 13th February

So it was another early morning start, the weather was no good and I had things to do which I got on with and was in the Nipper to go into Djebel, I was missing some hooks for hanging curtains.  The market was on today so I might be lucky but I wasn't.  All that was available were the cheapy plastic curtain hangers, I wanted the 'old' type which just weren't available so I need to look through my old curtains to see if I can find enough.  I bought some of the new type, they were one euro for a substantial number but it's a bit like fools gold.  By the time they're hanging, the connectors will be failing....modern alternatives...pah.  Before I went though I managed to fill up three containers with logs and two with starter wood, all stashed away in the porch.  I also lit the fire, with the weather being so cold and damp, it was nice to come back to.

I have managed to remember to take my prescription to the chemist and the girl asked me if I knew how to use them.  I repeated what the doctor had told me verbatim and I was right on both counts.  She's taken me off the heart tablets and given me an emergency pack, it my blood pressure shoots up, I take half a tablet with water and the second one is for my allergic to seems to be just about everything. Just a few drops under the tongue should take away those spells of doing my good impression of Botox injections.  

I went to my local farmer/butcher and ordered five kilograms of mince meat and it will be ready for collection on Monday.  At least he's not going to be giving me rubbish since I live in the same village and am a good neighbour.  I did try another shop for curtain hooks, it's the one that also sells carpets and I managed to find one at a reasonable price for under the kitchen dining table,  the tiles can be a little cold so the carpet is to provide insulation.  For internal insulation I'd put the remains of the chicken into the slow cooker and made soup when I got back.  I took the meat from the bones and despite my efforts at off-loading some to cat, again it's not been around at all....I'm beginning to get a little concerned.  

Tools will be put away tomorrow morning around eleven, my work will be done and what isn't done won't matter......it will be good to see my offsprings.  LN.....And now...relax.....LN

Saturday 14th February

Well happy Valentines day to those that believe in such things.  Not much happening in this neck of the woods.  I was doing last minute arranging using that J-cloth for those last minute corners that seldom go into to.  In the end I gave up, the house was perfectly presentable. there were three containers of wood in ready to keep the home fires burning for the next couple of days at least and plenty of starter wood.  I checked the time of the flight, it was a very early one and they would be arriving just after eleven so I sent a GIF of a plane trying hard to make a landing in a headwind but I think they were down by the time that it arrived.  I got a phone call from my daughter just after they'd come over the mountains from Asenovgrad to the main road to Kardjali...they were well on their way.  I remembered to warn them of the road works approaching Kardjali, a very bumpy stretch of road with two meter drops to the one side protected only by a rope.  Goodness knows what it would be like at night....best not try it.

Their intention was to stop off in Kardjali to do some food shopping but I said that I'd stocked up pretty well yesterday so in the end they called into my little supermarket in Djebel, topped up with the things that they like and now I have an extra dozen eggs to add to the two dozen that I bought the other day.  I'd prepared for tonight's meal, we had spicy sausage with stir-fry vegetables followed by local home made yogurt delivered by my sheep farmer's wife.  I asked her how much and was told that it was without charge and 'from the heart' and it really is delicious and with Bekir's home produced honey became the pudding for all of us.

We all chipped in with the washing up and tidying away and there's just been a mammoth search on for the clothes that were left behind last year.  I knew where they were but I couldn't quite remember but when I took my search head off and my thinking one on, I went straight to them and feet are now enclosed in a pair of 'crocks', tiled floors need the insulation that only a pair of 'crocks' can provide.  It's so good to have them here, complete relaxation for them both and they should be completely grounded just before they leave.  And now to keep my guests company....more will be arriving soon.  LN....Let the birthday celebrations begin.....LN

Sunday 15th February

It's been a funny old day weatherwise, the sun looked more like the moon coming up, no hint of yellow, wispy dark clouds flying across it and then the storm him.  Ferocious wind and rain, the lonesome pine was swaying in the wind, cat got fed early and the I didn't see if for the rest of the day.  We made toast with boiled eggs, ham, tomatoes for breakfast and around ten there was a message from my ex-student telling me to look at my WhatsApp which I did.  She asked if I had guests and I said that I had but that if she wanted to come round she would be made very welcome, I wanted her to meet my daughter.

She arrived with her mother at eleven with balloons, a cake and singing happy birthday to me and it was all quite unexpected.  The are such a lovely family, I asked where father was and then said that they'd left him at home.  In they came and we made tea for them at their request, I relit the candles on the cake, and we had it for breakfast, they sang a full rendering of Happy Birthday, it's still early but it's started the celebrations well.  I also had a pot plant as a present and after they left we were searching Google and found out what it is called.

Not long after they left the electricity went off and there was no power to the woodburner providing my central heating.  I left it for ten minutes or so, the storm was still raging outside so it was all hands to the pumps, I emptied the ash can so that I could take the hot lots and embers and put them into the little woodburner in the kitchen.  It is a very old one, bought with the house and is only there for emergencies, the main woodburner needs electricity to run the hot water through the radiators.  I soon got it going in the little one and it really does throw out some heat, I've still got the gas burners on the main cooker so there was no danger of starving ourselves.  We didn't do very much, we'd forgotten to print off the sudoku challenges and now wasn't able to and all we did was to keep the home fire burning and wait for the power to be restored.  I hadn't got an emergency telephone number for the electricity company but eventually phoned a friend, tried the number, joined a queue for an English speaking representative, waited and waited to be eventually told that the call would be terminated and to try again.  At five o'clock I decided to walk down the village to make sure that it was everybody not just me that was without power, got down as far as the bottom square and as I asked the question of Emula, the power was restored.

I walked back home, lit the woodburner again leaving the little one still burning, we set about making supper, fried off minced beef with onions, added baked beans. sliced potatoes and put a layer on top of the meat mixture.  This went in the oven and when the potatoes were beginning to brown we sprinkled grated cheese over the lot, put it back in the oven and after thirty minutes we ended up with a delicious oven bake.  It's the first power cut that I've had for around two years but it makes me thing that a battery back up for the UPS for the woodburner seems like a good idea, I shall have to investigate further.  LN.....It's been an exciting day from start to finish.....LN

Monday 16th February

It's been quite a busy day.  I had a shower and washed my hair before the house was awake, put a load of washing in and then started to make breakfast for the guests.  This morning we were off to Kardjali on a shopping spree and I wanted to buy a very large cake to cut up and take round to the ladies in the village for my birthday.  I'd also ordered beef mince from the local butcher and so we just about managed it before they closed and I now have enough stock in the freezer to last me for a couple or so months.  

We carried on to Kardjali and to Kaufland car park, all of the other parking places were filled up in and around the area.  We found everything we needed, chocolate bars, crisps, vegetables so that I could do roasted vegetables since I reckoned it was my turn to cook and give my guests an evening off.   We called in at Lidl on the way back t Djebel and only to get English type butter, the local stuff just doesn't do it for me and in Djebel I managed to by two cakes which should be fine for the ladies to help me celebrate my birthday.  It's a custom here to go round with cake and I don't want to let the side down.

We were home for around two this afternoon,  unpacked and put away the shopping and all sat around in the lounge relaxing and some more that others.  my SIL decamped to the bedroom upstairs and got his head down for a while and may daughter was doing her usual crossword but the sleepy dust kicked in and she was out for the count for about an hour.  In the absence of every one else, I collected some of the rubbish that I'd stored in the woodstore and took it down to the bottom of the garden and had a bonfire.  It was such a pleasant afternoon, the sun was out, not much warmth in it but enough to sit on the wall and survey the countryside.  I did notice that the strong wind  yesterday had brought down quite a large tree, there was nothing to fall on and no one had yet noticed it and thought about taking it for firewood,  It won't stay long.  My time to cook supper so I made roasted veg, chicken on skewers that I finished off with honey in the pan.  It all went down well, yogurt and honey for pudding but I did have an accident with the remains of yesterday's cake, I caught it with my elbow, it shop up in the air and landed on the carpet at foot level.  We managed to salvage some of it that went into my yogurt, the rest declined.

Now it's winddown time, I've just stirred up the fire, the temperature is dropping outside but it's holding nineteen degrees inside which is good going.  LN.....Special day tomorrow....I'm celebrating the birthday for my parents and sister that never made it this far......LN

Tuesday 17th February

So what a nice surprise this morning.  My daughter had cut out balloons in different colours and printed off a Happy Birthday poster and stuck it on the window overlooking the garden so that I noticed it when I opened the curtain to the stairwell this morning and I had a second surprise with a similar design on the lounge window.  I am officially an octogenarian so from now on, I shall always know best....not much will change.

We had breakfast, I had presents to open and I have an extra large bar of Cadbury chocolate that is still not out of the wrapping paper, I know what it is and shall enjoy it when the house is quiet and all my guest have gone.  I'll need something to look forward to when the house is quiet again.  The phone has been a little hot line, the kitchen was turned into a cake processing factory and a special delivery was made to a lot of the houses in the village.  We had trouble at first, I couldn't find the plastic plates that I normally use to take them round the village so we ended up driving to Djebel, firstly to take cake to my special families and then to buy the trays that I couldn't find but once we were back from Djebel it was full steam ahead.

My daughter cut the cake and loaded it on to the serviettes that I'd put on the trays and then they were placed in a polythene bag.  My SIL put them on trays and then into the boot of the car....we were going to drive round the village and complete the delivery.  The remainder will be gobbled up I'm sure, my son and grandson arrive tomorrow into Plovdiv and my real birthday party is going to be a family get together in a restaurant in Djebel.  My daughter helped me deliver the cake and it's the first time that she has been really introduced to my neighbours and their homes....it was good for all of us.

I cooked this evening's meal and we had stir fried vegetables with chicken and saveloys with jacket potatoes and we're all stuffed to the gills.  I must admit I'm about to get a slice of cake it will be a shame to let it go to waste.  Snow is forecast for tomorrow, the meet up is around seven o'clock tomorrow night snow permitting.  LN....I don't feel any older and may it always remain that way......LN

Wednesday 18th February

This week has seemed exceptionally long and I've just mentioned this to my daughter.  It was a long lead up to my birthday, that came and yesterday it was a busy day delivering the cake and today has seemed like the calm after the storm.  I woke up again with the light on, sleeping on my propelling pencil that I use for sudoku, the puzzles were scattered on the carpet next to the bed and it was still only six thirty.  I tidied up the debris, put a new lead in the pencil and continued with the puzzle that I was doing when I fell asleep on the job and managed to succeed in finishing it.  

I put a load of washing in the machine, rescued the fire, got the food ready for the cat and then laid out the breakfast things on the worktop, made a coffee and sat down in the lounge and starting another sudoku, this time the difficult one.  Eventually there was movement from the other bedroom and my SIL appeared and made a coffee for him and one for my daughter but that sat on the worktop for a while.  My daughter loves her sleep and came down to claim the beverage about an hour later.  It still wasn't late, it was just me that had had the really early start but that's par for the course when I'm on my own.  SIL did tidy up the rubbish, started the bonfire pit although there wasn't a lot of room in it to get a good fire going and decided that he would take the rest down to the containers at the bottom of the village.

We've had a very lazy day just keeping the home fires burning and eventually the sun came up and it's been a very pleasant day if cold.  Cat didn't appear until five this evening so not sure what it's been up to so I put out the breakfast that I'd prepared much earlier, it picked what it wanted out of it and then went off to pastures probably a little more comfortable that a cold bench in a howling wind.  I've just missed the sunset but managed to pick up some of the pink tinge to the grey clouds.  I guess it could be a frost tonight.  Tonight my son and his son are arriving and we are meeting at the restaurant in about one hours time...stretching out my birthday and why not.  LN.....It's going to be another year before I have another......LN

Thursday 19th February

So last night we were at the pizza restaurant around seven, I was greeted by the young lady that used to serves us last year with a great big hug and smile.  She's such a sweetie, nothing is too much trouble and father even came out of the kitchen and wave to us.  There was a children's birthday party taking place so it was a little noisy but the room is big enough to take it.  My daughter actually commented that it was good to see little girls dressed like girls used to dress with tights, fancy little skirts and the boys with trousers and shirts and not trying to be what they're not.  My son arrived with my grandson around seven thirty from Plovdiv airport, hugs all round for everyone and we were soon there with the menu and ordering out pizza and meat plate for my SIL whose not able to have wheat otherwise he's likely to come up like a puffer fish.  Huge pizzas, cheesy chips and the desert was left over from the children's party so it was a freebie for us, we left the restaurant about nine and were home in quicksticks sitting around in the lounge and reminiscing about old times, brother and sister with just less than one hear apart.  We all toddled off to bed around eleven, I went out like a light and this morning at six, again with the light on and the sudoku papers on the floor.  Back to normal tomorrow hopefully.

I was up and about at six thirty this morning making sure that everything was moving smoothly.  This morning was saying goodbye to my daughter and SIL, they were on the road by eight o'clock heading for Plovdiv airport and their plane was due to leave at one back to the UK.  I received a text to say that they were at the airport and Plovdiv is such a small airport that everything is simple to negotiate.  The early start was to get the hire car back and everything signed off and it all went smoothly. Tomorrow is going to be a similar routine but the good news is that the flight leaves two hours after they thought it did so grandson is looking forward to longer in bed in the morning.

This afternoon we headed out to the bank to pick up my cashpoint card after I received a text to advise me that the new one had arrived at the bank.  I went to reception and there were so many people waiting to be seen, I tried to explain to the man that all I wanted to do was to pick up my card but he insisted that I was issued with a 'wait to be served' ticket and with my son waiting outside parked on the road, this was just going to take too long.  In the end I gave up, I want to see the manager tomorrow, I'm going to have a discussion about the shoddy service the bank offer to clients, threaten to leave the branch and find another bank and tell him or her why.  That's two bad experiences I've had with them.  After the bank we made out way to Kardjali Dam and I realised I'd taken totally the wrong road, I wanted to go to Kardjali Lake not the Dam and I managed to speak to a local who gave us full details of how to get there and with the help of Google maps we found it.  It wasn't the same as before, there were lots of new hotels so we settled in one and had coffees, found my original spot that I used to go to but there is so much new building work done and still taking place.  It was very hard to recognise it.

We arrived home around five, we'd put spicy sausage, onions, tomatoes and beans in the slow cooker before we left and I prepared and cooked six jacket potatoes and in half an hour supper was ready.  It taste OK, I'd put the tins ready, my son had opened them, chopped the onions and sausage and it was fine.  LN...We shall all go to bed stuffed to the gills, showers tonight and breakfast in the morning and then they'll be on their way.  LN.....I might even make another effort with the bank if I can work up the enthusiasm to do so....LN